Australian Open CEO Craig Tiley, who has overseen massive growth in tennis participation in Australia during his tenure, was named CEO of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) on Tuesday.
Tiley, CEO of Tennis Australia since 2013 and Australian Open director since 2006, will assume his new role in the next few months while working with the board of directors of Tennis Australia to ensure a smooth change atop the country’s governing body for the sport.
“I am truly honored to step into the role of CEO of the USTA later this year,” Tiley said. “I’ve long admired the organization’s leadership in growing the game across the United States and the extraordinary success of the US Open.
“Tennis has shaped my life — personally and professionally — and having begun my tennis journey in the U.S. as an NCAA championship coach, this opportunity feels like a full-circle moment. I’m excited to return to American tennis and to work alongside our leadership locally and nationally to continue building the sport’s reach, impact and future.”
A former tennis coach at the University of Illinois, Tiley also has experience running community tennis and administration for the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam of the season has broken attendance and revenue records under Tiley’s watch.
“From the very beginning of this process, our top priority was identifying the right leader to accelerate participation growth and help us achieve our goal of reaching 35 million players by 2035,” USTA Board Chair and interim Co-CEO Brian Vahaly said. “Craig brings a rare combination of global credibility at the highest level of the sport and a proven commitment to growing the game at the grassroots. That balance is exactly what this moment requires.”
From 1994-2005, Tiley served as Illinois’ head coach and led the team to a national title in 2003 with a 32-0 record. The South African native twice was honored as Division I National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.
During Tiley’s tenure as CEO of Tennis Australia, more people play tennis in the country than any other sport besides soccer. Last year, tennis saw 8.3% growth, the most of any sport, and overall participation has grown by 30% in the last five years. Coach membership, and female coaches in particular, has also seen a massive uptick in numbers.
–Field Level Media
